Fishing in the Dark
by Annoying Little Twit
Summary: SongFic, NO LONGER A ONESHOT!. Kagome hears a strange noise and leaves the camp. No one knows. YyhInu Crossover. Sequel inside.
1. Fishing in the Dark

I thought about this, and typed it up, hope it turned out alright!

**Disclaimer: **_I don't own Inuyasha, Yu Yu Hakusho, or the song "Fishing in the Dark" By Nitty-Gritty-Dirt-Band. They belong to their respectful owners, which isn't me._

---

Kagome relaxed in her sleeping bag, the fire slowly dying. The rest of her companions had fallen asleep a while ago, and she still wasn't tired. Inuyasha had left for the night, probably to visit Kikyo again, but it didn't bother her anymore. She didn't feel the same way as she did when they first met, just a fleeting schoolgirl crush. Though she still liked to play with his ears.

Miroku and Sango were sleeping on the opposite side of the fire, and she could see that Miroku's hand was wandering, even in his sleep. He would get a rude wake-up call in the morning. Sango was curled up next to Kirara, a two-tailed demon cat that traveled with them. Shippou, her adopted kitsune cub, was asleep next to Kagome, tail twitching along with a dream he was having.

A noise in the forest grabbed Kagome's attention, and she got up, making sure not to wake up anyone. She slipped on shoes and went into the forest, catching a glimpse of silver.

---

Youko was out, getting a midnight snack. He didn't know what compelled him to come all the way out here, but he listened to his instincts, and did so anyway. After traveling a few miles, he caught scent of a small camp of people, a half demon, three humans, and two demons. He took a closer look, to see most of the camp asleep, and the half demon missing. There was one woman awake, and she was beautiful. Long raven hair framed a pale heart shaped face, with deep set blue-grey eyes. She was wearing the strangest clothes, a pair of unknown material pants and a shirt with buttons on the front holding it together.

He continued to watch them woman as she got up, and walked over to a strange sleeping mat. She laid in it for a while, until he decided to leave. He accidentally stepped on a loose branch, snapping it and it echoed through the small clearing. He froze, and watched the girl get up. He smirked as an idea came to his mind. He started to leave, letting the girl see him a few times to keep her on the right path.

_Lazy yellow moon comin' up tonite,_

_Shinin' thru the trees,_

_Crickets are singin' and lightning bugs_

_Are floatin on the breeze_

_Baby get ready..._

Kagome kept getting glimpses of a silver being, and had the deep desire to follow it. Curiousity overrode logic, which was telling her that she was probably following something that would lead to her death. She reached a small clearing, which ran a clear river, long green grass which danced in the wind and dotted with flowers.

In the center of the clearing stood a tall, majestic, figure. Long silver hair that reached his long tails, ears that swiveled at each sound, a fang that showed in the confident smirk that he wore, claws that glistened in the moonlight, and deep golden eyes that shown with an unknown emotion to her.

_Across the field where the creek turns back by the ole stump road_

_I'm gonna take you to a special place that nobody knows_

_Baby get ready..._

"Who are you?" Kagome asked, and was shocked at how loud her voice seemed in the clearing. Youko's thought was 'How beautiful, her voice…' before answering the question in his deep, seductive voice.

"Youko, Youko Kurama. And who might you be?"

"Kagome Higurashi."

"Come closer, I don't bite." Youko said smoothly, making Kagome, for some odd reason, blush lightly. She stepped into the clearing, and moved closer to Youko. His eyes took her in like water, and he sat down near the river bank. Kagome sat next to him.

They talked for a while, Kagome feeling like an opened dam. She told him of where she came from, how she got here, about her companions, and the burden that she had to carry. Youko told her of his childhood, how he became a thief, some of his close calls, his partner Kuronue, and why he came out tonight. By the time they finished, the moon was high in the sky, and illuminated the clearing.

They lay back after Youko caught some fish, teaching Kagome how to fish them also. Kagome's head rested on Youko's shoulder comfortably. They were looking at the stars, Youko telling some old Kitsune tales about the stars and constellations.

_You and me going fishing in the dark,_

_Lying on our backs and counting the stars_

_Where the cool grass grows._

Youko looked down at the sleeping form of Kagome, and couldn't resist as he stared at her pale rose lips. He leaned down, and covered her lips with his own, sufficiently waking Kagome.

_Down by the river in the full moon light,_

_We'll be fallin' in love in the middle of the night_

_Just movin' slow..._

Kagome moaned softly, returning the kiss, as Youko scooped her up and stood. Breaking the kiss, he gave hera few more short kisses, before whispering in her ear, "I have to take you back now, before you companions start to worry."

"Will I see you again?" She asked, and Youko gave her the same smirk that she saw when she first entered the clearing.

"Of course."

_Stayin' the whole night thru, feels so good to be with you..._

---

Winter passed, and the only one who knew she had ever left was her son. She told him what had happened, and told him to keep it a secret. The others knew something was up, as Kagome always looked into the trees, as though searching for someone, and always seemed distracted. They thought it was because of Inuyasha, who had openly announced his mating to Kikyo. They couldn't be farther from the truth.

She hadn't seen Youko since the first night, and wondered if she had been played with by him. Did he really want to see her again? She knew in her heart that he did, but it was hard to believe as time went on, until one day, they reached a village. Miroku got them a place at the richest and biggest house on the village, and all of them got comfortable. Inuyasha was dead to the world, as was Miroku, Kirara, Sango, and Shippou.

When she heard someone breaking into the mansion, she got worried, until she saw a glimpse of silver.

_Spring is almost over and the summer's come_

_And the days are gettin' long_

_Waited all winter for the time to be right, just to take you along_

_Baby get ready..._

"Kagome?" A smooth, deep voice whispered, and Kagome heart jumped. He hadn't lied to her; he did want to see her again!

"Youko!" She exclaimed quietly, getting out of her sleeping bag to throw herself into the arms of Youko. Youko held her close, taking in her scent and sighing contently. He had waited all winter to track her scent down, and he had been following it the past week. He had missed her, even if they had met for only a night, he was already in love.

"Where have you been? I thought…" Kagome trailed off, holding back tears.

"I couldn't track you in the snow, it covered your scents. And I've been busy." Youko pulled out a small ring, with a sea grey jewel set into it.

"It reminded me of your eyes."

Kagome took the ring, and slid it onto her finger. It was a perfect fit.

"Come, let's go," Youko took her into his arms, and leapt through the mansion, out of an open window and down into the forest. Kagome curled into him, resting her head on his shoulder as the scenery passed by. When they stopped, she noticed she was back in the same clearing as where they met.

"Come, let's fish."

_And it don't matter if we sit forever and the fish don't bite_

_Jump in the river and cool ourselves from the heat of the night_

_Baby get ready..._

They were swimming in the river, Kagome's pajamas clinging to her wet form. Youko smirked, and walked behind her, grabbing her into a hug.

"You look beautiful…" He whispered into her ear, making Kagome blush.

Kagome couldn't respond, and Youko leaned over the top of her and sealed her lips into a deep heated kiss. She responded after a moment of shock, and when Youko's tongue ran over her lips, she gasped in surprise. Youko searched the cavern of her mouth with his tongue, taking in her taste, and relishing it. No demon, or human, had tasted as good as she had. And her scent, it was enough to drive any man insane.

She turned around and placed her hands onto his chest, letting herself lean into the kiss, the heat of the night and the heat of their passion maing her head swin, they finally broke for air, and dove back in, forgetting all about their fishing.

_You and me going fishing in the dark,_

_Lying on our backs and counting the stars_

_Where the cool grass grows._

They moved back to shore, holding each other and watching the stars. Kagome gasped as a shooting star shot by. She made a wish, closing her eyes and concentrating hard. 'I wish we could stay like this forever…'

_Down by the river in the full moon light,_

_We'll be fallin' in love in the middle of the night_

_Just movin' slow..._

Kagome fell asleep, soon followed by Youko.

_Stayin' the whole night thru, feels so good to be with you..._

---

Kagome's companions woke up the next morning, noticing right off that something wasn't right. Shippou was up, a huge smirk on his face. Usually Shippou was the last to wake, and didn't ever seem this active in the morning. When Inuyasha woke up, he noticed that an unfamiliar scent was in the room, and that Kagome was missing.

"Where's Kagome?" Inuyasha asked, and Shippou smiled.

"I promised Mama I woudn't tell."

"Why you little runt!"

Inuaysha bopped Shippou on the head and Shippou whined, but still didn't tell. Sango and Kirara watched all this, and Miroku made a pass at Sango, but got hit over the head with the boomerang.

Kagome walked back into the room later that morning, damp and panting.

"Where were you!" They all asked, except for Shippou. Sharing a special glace with her son, she just smiled and replied,

"Fishing."

**Owari**


	2. Bring on the Rain

Part 2: Bring on the Rain

Annoying Little Twit

I decided to write a sequel. This one will have fluff in it, and have another sequel to that one. I don't know if I'll keep writing on this story after that though. This WAS supposed to be a one-shot. But… It was too cute to resist. I just had an idea spring in my head. And not to mention people added this story to their alert list. That confused me (laughs). WARINING! Lots of sap ahead. If you gag on too much of it, leave now or forever hold your peace.

---

Kagome had been meeting Youko throughout the whole summer, before leaving back to her time. Their time together had been wonderful - passion filled nights and romantic days - but it always had to come to and end. She would long for him between visits.

She knew about his jobs, and it worried her when he would go on a heist. But after meeting Kuronue, and making him promise to keep an eye on her lover, she felt a tad bit safer. Until the news came.

Kuronue had died.

_/Another day has almost come and gone  
Can't imagine what else could go wrong/  
_

Youko had openly cried in front of her that night. He felt like it was his fault this had happened. He knew that the chain wasn't good, and that it wouldn't last forever, but Kuronue had said he would get it replaced later.

"I left him behind… I could have stayed with him and gotten caught also. I just… Left him…" Youko sobbed, and Kagome held him to her chest, rubbing small circles on his back while tears filled her eyes also. She had liked the chimera also; he was funny, and fun to argue with.

"Youko, he wanted you to live. He cared for you. He wanted you to live…" She said, a tear running down her cheek. She didn't know how to console him.

_/Sometimes I'd like to hide away somewhere and lock the door  
A single battle lost but not the war ('cause)/_

In honor of him, Kagome had gone back and taken the body of Kuronue, and dug him a grave underneath a cherry tree, and planted many flowers there, and made a grave marker. She buried the body of the chimera, and brought Youko there, and held a funeral service, just him and her.

"May his soul fly free with the treasures he loved dearly." Kagome concluded, wiping tears from her face, and leaning against Youko. Youko, who had tears of gratitude and regret in his eyes, but holding them back, held her close to him, looking at the grave marker.

"Kuronue, a dear friend and an even greater ally."

---

_/Tomorrows another day  
And I'm thirsty anyway  
So bring on the rain/  
_

Two years had passed since the funeral. Kagome had completed the jewel, and Naraku had long since been defeated. Sango and Miroku had gotten married, and Shippo had grown a little. Just a little. According to Youko, fox demons aged slowly in their younger years, then had a major growth spurt, then slowed down on aging again.

Shippo was still the only one who knew about Youko, and Kagome planned on keeping it that way, until one day.

Kagome was panicking. Majorly. She had missed her period - again. This was the second month. She thought she had caught a cold bug, since she had been throwing up, but now, she suspected something else. So she went to the doctor to get her suspicions cleared, and he gave her the results.

She was pregnant.

_/It's almost like the hard times circle 'round  
A couple drops and they all start coming down/  
_

Kagome broke down. Why now? Her friends didn't even know that she _had_ a lover. How was she supposed to explain that she was pregnant? Better yet, how would Youko react?

---

Timidly, she stepped out of the portal of the well, and raced delicately, yet swiftly, to where she knew Youko would be waiting for her. Youko, being there as expected, caught her, and twirled her around, then noticed that Kagome was crying.

"Love, what is the matter?" He asked, nuzzling her neck. Kagome just sobbed harder.

"I-I-I don't k-know how to e-explain!" She cried, burying her face into his muscular chest.

"Hush now, it can't be that bad… can it?" He asked her, going to his knees and bringing her down with him, cradling her to him.

"Youko… I'm… I'm pregnant…" She whispered brokenly, staring at the ground.

_/Yeah, I might feel defeated,  
I might hang my head  
I might be barely breathing - but I'm not dead_

_No ('cause)/_

Youko sat there in shock, registering what was just said. Then a grin broke out on his face.

He was having kits.

"Kagome-love, that's wonderful!" Youko cried out happily, placing his hands on her shoulders and pushing her away so he could see her tear-streaked face. She looked at him confused.

"Y-your not mad?" She sniffled, making him grin wider.

"I would be mad… If it was anyone else. But I _love_ you. Nothing would make me happier then knowing that we created life together." He said soothingly. This time, Kagome smiled, and then broke down crying again - this time in relief.

"I thought… I thought you w-would be s-so m-mad… and l-leave me!" She sobbed, clinging to him.

"Why would I do that? I have more honor then that! And I love you. I wouldn't leave you because of something so wonderful." Youko said softly, stroking her hair.

"But Youko… How do I tell my mother?"

_/Tomorrows another day  
And I'm thirsty anyway  
So bring on the rain/_

Kagome went back home, after talking with Youko more.

"Mom?" Kagome called, stepping into the house and toeing off her shoe.

"In the kitchen dear!" She called back, and Kagome felt the nervous knot in her stomach tighten.

"Mom, can you come talk with me in the living room for a moment? This is really important." Kagome asked, stepping into the living room, and sitting down in one of the overstuffed armchairs. Kagome's mother came in, apron on, and soap suds staining the upper parts of her arms. She saw the worried look on Kagome's face.

"What's wrong? Is it Inuyasha? Sango? One of the others? Did something happen?" She said, sitting down across from Kagome.

"Mom… I'm… I don't know how to tell you this…" Kagome started, and her mother stared.

"I guess there's no easy way… I'm… …" She mumbled the last part so low that she herself couldn't even hear it.

"What was that dear? I couldn't hear you." Kagome's mother said, concern in her voice.

"I'm pregnant…"

She stared at her mom, and her mom stared back.

_/No, I'm not gonna let it get me down  
I'm not gonna cry  
And I'm not gonna lose any sleep tonight ('cause)/_

"H-how?" Her mother asked. "Who's the father? Inuyasha?"

"No, it's a demon… Named Youko…" Kagome said, watching the emotions cross on her mothers face. Confusion, anger, bewilderment, happiness, thoughtfulness, anger again, and finally settled on worry.

"Did he rape you?" Her nother asked immediately.

"No! He's my lover. He has been for the past three years."

"Why did you never tell me this?" Her mother asked, anger in her voice.

"Because I knew you would disapprove!" She said, tears forming in her eyes.

"Honey…" Her mother said, seeing the tears in her daughters eyes. "I'm not mad at you… Just a little caught off guard… I wasn't expecting this."

"You-You're not mad at me?" She sniffled, sliding out of the armchair and onto her knees. Her mother did the same, and embraced her daughter. They both started to cry, and Souta walked into the room.

"…Mom? Kagome? What's going on?"

"Congratulations Souta, you're going to be an uncle." Kagome said, looking at her little brother. He paled, then his eyes rolled back into his head, and he fainted.

_/Tomorrows another day_

_And I am not afraid_

_So bring on the rain/_

**Owari**

I was going to have this be longer, but I think telling people your pregnant gets repetitive. So I'm ending it here for now. I will be posting a sequel to this one. So stay tuned!


	3. A Hard Goodbye

This one isn't a song-fic, since I couldn't find a song to go with it. The rest from here-on-out is just going to be writing. If you know of a song that fits with this, go ahead and play it while reading. Then it can be your own personal song-fic. So enjoy!

Part 3: A Hard Goodbye

Annoying Little Twit

The months sped by, and Kagome grew bigger and bigger. Telling her friends had been hard, but she had lived through it, but had yet to introduce her friends to her lover. She was going to - eventually - but for now, it was probably safer for Inuyasha to not know. He would get jealous.

Currently she was at least 8 ½ months pregnant, and she was sitting by the river where she first met Youko. Today was the day she was going to introduce her friends to him. She knew she had been putting it off for quite some time now, and she wanted him there for the birth of the baby. Kaede and Sango were going to be the midwives for the delivery, since she didn't know what the baby would look like, so she couldn't have it in her time. It would probably scare the doctors if she gave birth to a fox demon. Hearing a rustling, she turned around just in time to see Youko come out of the underbrush, looking as magnificent as the day they first met.

"Youko," she said, smiling.

"Kagome, and baby," he replied, sitting down next to her and resting one clawed hand on her bulging stomach.

"The baby is fine, but I wanted to ask you something," Kagome started then hesitated. She then rushed on before she lost the courage. "I was wondering if I could introduce you to my friends. They have yet to meet the father of my baby and my mate." Youko looked down at her, then giving her a swift kiss, helped her to her feet.

"Thank you Youko," She said, leaning against him as she caught her balance.

---  


Inuyasha caught Kagome's scent as she headed back, but this time, there was someone else with her. A demon.

Pulling out his sword was the first sign of warning for the rest of the group. Sango stood, as did Miroku, and Shippo looked up from his toys.

"Oh, Mama's coming back," Shippo stated, and then grinned. "And she's finally bringing him!"

"Bringing who?" Miroku asked, looking at Shippo, then Inuyasha.

"A demon," Inuyasha stated, while at the same time Shippo said "Her lover."

At that time, Kagome stepped into view, with... Sesshoumaru? No, it didn't smell like him, but it sure looked a lot like him. Then he noticed the ears on top of the demons head. They were longer then his, and shaped more like a... A fox?

'Dammit' He thought, a snarl coming onto his face. He knew fox demons had big egos, and didn't want to deal with _two_ of the damn things. Taking a glance at Shippo, he didn't seem that surprised to see the demon, or that it was another fox.

'Damn Shippo, he knew all this time who it was!' He thought, as Shippo deemed her close enough to run towards.

Shippo remembered at the last moment that he couldn't jump up on Kagome anymore, so he stopped in front of her, tail quivering in excitement and joy.

"Mama, is this...?" He started, and receiving a nod from Kagome, jumped up on the older fox, and started sniffing, confirming that yes, this was the scent that was always on his mama.

"Shippo, I would like you to meet Youko, Youko, this is Shippo, my son I told you about." Kagome said, watching the exchange. Youko already knew of Shippo, and how she had taken him in as one of her own. The rest of the group showed up at around this time, and Sango was the first to recognize the name.

"You mean the father is... _The_ Youko Kurama?" Sango said, with slight fear and awe in her voice. Being a demon slayer, she knew of his legend and his ruthlessness. Miroku looked at his wife questionably.

"The Youko Kurama?" Sango looked at him, and gave him the look for 'Later'.

"Youko, this is Sango the Demon Slayer and her husband Miroku the Monk. The scowling one over there is Inuyasha, and the two-tailed cat demon is Kirara." Youko, recognizing the names from the tales she had told him of their journeys, gave a bow, while still keeping a hold on his mate. The others, except Inuyasha gave a bow back, and Inuyasha gave a small growl, his hand going dangerously close to the hilt of his blade.

"Inuyasha... Don't even _think_ of it." Kagome said, and he snorted, letting his hand fall to his side again, grumbling.

Kagome led Youko to Kaede's hut, and introduced the aging priestess to the fox demon. They eventually started talking about different kind of herbs that could be found, and Youko gave her a few seeds of exotic herbs.

Kagome had been feeling slight pains for the last few hours, but thought nothing of it, at least, until now. She winced outwardly as a sharp contraction ran through her body.

"Kagome?" Youko said, looking confused.

"I think... The baby is coming..."

---

Kagome, sweaty and tired, leaned against Youko, holding the young girl in her arms. She looked like a good mixture of both of them; fuzzy silver ears, tiny silver tail, baby blue eyes, and black hair. Her claws were already forming, and when she yawned, two tiny razor sharp teeth were starting to poke out of her gums.

Shippo came in cautiously, and crept up to the small mat where they laid, and hesitated. Youko, giving the kid a nod, motioned for him to join them on the mat, and the young fox readily agreed. Climbing next to Youko, but able to lean against his mama, he snuggled into her.

"Mama, what's her name?"

"Suki," She said softly, looking at Shippo and planting a kiss on his head. "Youko Suki,"

---3 months later---

Suki was a fast growing girl, her hair hanging around her head in a messy halo. Her eyes had darkened to match her mama's eyes, and her fangs had completely grown in.

She and Shippo were sitting in a field of flowers, under the keen eye of Kagome. Youko was currently out on a job, and she had a bad feeling in her heart. Night was falling, and he was overdue to be back. Sango had noticed her worry, and tried her best to comfort her.

"Maybe it's longer then he thought it would be," Sango said, "don't worry, he'll be back tonight, or tomorrow at the latest."

Kagome sighed, and twisted a strand of hair around her hand. But the uneasiness never left.

---

Rumors were spreading the next day, and when they reached the small village, Kagome was in shock.

The Youko Kurama has fallen.

No one could console Kagome, who had been crying since she had heard the news from a wandering caravan. Everyone else seemed happy about it, except their little village, where they had grown to know Kagome's mate and children.

Later, after packing up everything she owned in that small village, she grabbed her children's hands, and saying a farewell to her second family, left the Feudal Era for good. The memories were too hard to bear, and she had to get away.

Reaching the old well, Kagome motioned for Shippo to jump onto her back, and cradling the small infant in her arms, slid into the well, the familiar blue glow surrounding her and bringing her back to her original time, and family.

Getting out of the well was hard with the baby in her arms, but she finally managed to do so. Glad that it was late at night, so there were no visitors, she rushed into the house, tears streaming down her face. Her mother, who just happened to be in the living room at this time, saw Kagome, holding a baby and covered with dirt, rushed over and started to fret.

"What happened?"

"He... He's dead..." she choked out between sobs, and tears filled her eyes.

"Let me take the baby, and you go take a shower. Shippo and I will keep an eye on..."

"Suki," Kagome said, looking at her little girl, then at Shippo, who gave a nod.

"...on Suki. You go clean yourself up." Her mother finished, and Kagome slowly handed over the little Suki, then headed upstairs, grabbing a change of modern clothes (for she was wearing garb of that time) and heading into the bathroom. Filling the tub, she stripped of her clothing, and sank into the hot water, leaning back so that only her face and knees were sticking out of the water. There she cried some more, for the loss of her lover and mate.

---

Shippo watched Kagome's mother tend to the young fox baby, all the while smelling the salty tears of his own mother. He knew Suki could smell it too, since she would sniff and then whine a little. Shippo went over to her, where she was sitting on the floor - while Kagome's mother got her some warm milk - and hugged her, sitting down next to her.

He had been happy when he found out that his mama had found a lover, someone who could - and would - love her back as much as she loved them. Then when she had Suki, he was even happier. He finally had a family again. Now his new daddy was taken away from him. He sniffed, and tried to hold back the tears. He had to be strong for Mama and Suki. He was the man of the family now, and had to take care of them.

Kagome's mother came back out with a bottle, and looked at the two. She could see Shippo's body trembling, and Suki was leaking tears and whining. She had missed the raising of Kagome's children, so she didn't know what to say to them. She didn't know Suki's paternal - and Shippo's adopted - father besides what Kagome had told her, so she didn't know how to comfort the two children.

Shippo, noticing that she was there, looked at her, then at the bottle, confusion crossing his face at the sight of it.

"You want to feed her?" She asked, and Shippo, getting the idea that that must be food, nodded. Handing the bottle over, he looked at it for a moment, then back at her.

"What do I do with it?" He asked, and she giggled softly.

"See the squishy end? You give her that, and she sucks on it. The milk comes out in small enough amounts that it won't overwhelm her." She explained, and Shippo looked surprised.

"Oh, okay!" Giving the bottle to Suki, he watched her latch onto the rubber end, and start to suck on it. He watched as the milk got lower and lower, and finally, Suki let go, a drowsy look on her face. Kagome's mother picked her up, and started to pat her back softly. Shippo watched in curiosity until Suki gave a small burp, and she fell asleep.

Not long after Kagome's mother put the baby in a small quickly assembled bed, Kagome came downstairs, looking a lot cleaner, but not much happier. Shippo went quickly to his mother's side, and latched onto her hand.

"Mama, Grandma took Suki this way," Shippo said, leading Kagome to her mother's room. Reaching it, Kagome saw her mother watching over Suki. Shippo led her into the room, and Kagome stood beside her mother, watching her daughter sleep.

"Kagome, I want you to sleep in here tonight. Shippo too," Her mother said, looking at her.

"But--" Kagome started, but her mother cut her off.

"No buts, you need sleep, and Suki is already fed and asleep in here. Besides, your bed isn't big enough for the both of you."

"Alright Mother. Shippo, say goodnight to Grandma," Kagome said, deciding to not argue. She did need the sleep, and she didn't have the willpower to argue about it. Shippo jumped up onto her mother, and giving her a kiss on the cheek and a hug, said goodnight, then crawled into bed. Her mother left, and Kagome, already changed into pajamas, slid into bed, almost forgetting to flip the switch before closing her eyes.

---

_Shippo opened his eyes, noticing one thing right from the start._

'_It's so dark... Where am I?'_

_Then, through the darkness, he could faintly hear a voice..._

"_Shippo..."_

"_W-who's there?" He sits up and looks around, only seeing the darkness around him._

"_Have you forgotten me already?" The voice said, stronger this time, and a silvery figure started to fade into view._

"_Daddy?! IS that really you? I thought you were--"_

"_I was dead, but now I have been reborn." Youko, now clearly visible, sat down, beckoning his son over to sit with him. Shippo did so, crawling onto the lap of the glowing image of his father._

"_Reborn?" Shippo asks, confused. He had heard of reincarnation, since his mama was a reincarnation of Inuyasha's lover, but why didn't his daddy just say that?_

"_I used an unborn human baby for a body, but before it received its soul, I placed mine in it."_

"_So you're alive?!"_

"_Yes, and the human body is 19 years old." Shippo thought for a moment... That would place his daddy one year older then his mama was now. But..._

"_Why are you telling _me_ all this, and not Mama?"_

"_Her mind is too distressed to communicate with her in this fashion."_

"_Oh." Youko gave Shippo a tight hug, then set Shippo to the side of him, standing up._

"_I must go now; it's time for you to wake up." Youko started to fade away, like the way he had come._

"_Wait, Daddy! How will I know its you?" What should I tell Mama?"_

"_Tell your mother I am coming back, and you will know it's me when you see me..." Youko faded away, and Shippo felt the world fading around him also..._

---

Kagome shook Shippo once more, and Shippo groggily opened his eyes, taking a look around the unfamiliar surroundings. Sitting up, he looked at his mother confused, before the night before came rushing back to him... Which then reminded him of his dream.

"Mama! I had a dream of Daddy. He said he was coming back, and that I would know when I see him." The reaction Shippo got wasn't what he had been expecting. Kagome had started to cry.

"Shippo, are you sure it wasn't just that, a dream?" Kagome said, tears falling from her eyes.

"I'm sure Mama, it was real." Suki woke up at this time, and started to cry, announcing that she needed her diaper changed and wanted to be fed. Kagome went to go take care of her, wiping the tears from her face. Picking up Suki, she took her out into the hall and down to the bathroom, so she could wash the cloth diaper. She didn't use disposable diapers, since they didn't have any back then, and her mother hadn't thought she would be coming home so soon. Shaking the thought from her mind, she washed the diaper, then grabbed another one, and put it on her. She then headed back to the bedroom and sitting in the rocker her mother always had in there, started to feed Suki.

Shippo decided to explore the house, since he didn't want to upset his mother anymore. He first went to the kitchen. No one was there, and the things in there looked scary. Next room.

In there was furniture, though it looked strange to Shippo. Why did it need to be so high up off the ground? Wouldn't they be afraid that they would fall? No one was there either, so he decided to go to the next room.

This next room smelled like his mama's, though all that was in it now was a bed, a dresser (though he didn't know what that was), and another door. Crossing the room, he looked in the door, and saw tons of strange looking clothes, one that looked like the clothing his mama use to wear, before she had Suki. So this had been Mama's room... Next room!

In the next room, something caught Shippo off guard. Breathing. So someone was in this room... Creeping further into it, he traveled through the mess of clothes and papers on the floor and to the bed. Peeking over the top, he saw a mess of short black hair, and the face was facing away from him. Deciding he didn't want to wake the unknown person up, he left the room quietly, and decided to take on the next room.

Someone was in this room too! This room was a lot cleaner, so not much sneaking was required, but when he got to the bed, all he saw was tufts of grey hair, and a wrinkled face of an old man. Being bored, he left the room quietly. Time for the next room!

The next room wouldn't open. He tried opening the door, but the handle wouldn't turn. He could hear water running in the room, but didn't understand how water could be running inside a house. So he decided to keep exploring.

The next room was vacant of people, though unlike his mama's old room, didn't look like a sleeping room. Inside this room there were tons of boxes made out of thick papery material, and stacked on top of each other. It was full of dust, and he sneezed before closing the door. There were no more rooms to explore, so he decided to head back downstairs.

On his way back down, he saw Grandma walking down the stairs in a robe. Finally! Something he was familiar with! Though the robe did look thicker and made of a different material then the ones back home.

"Grandma!" Shippo called out as she reached the bottom, and she jumped slightly, before turning around.

"Shippo, what are you doing up there?"

"Exploring... I was bored, and this place is so big! Lots of rooms. It's kind of like the big mansions we would see while exploring the countryside looking for shards." Shippo then realized he had said something to upset her, since a sad look came across her face. Shippo climbed down the stairs, and his grandma picked him up and hugged him tightly, and whispered.

"You shouldn't have had to do that, at your age."

"Mama took good care of me when my real Mama and Papa died. She tried her best to keep me safe. I even helped protect Mama sometimes."

"Still, you're so little; you should be having fun and playing without a care. Instead, you were put in danger a lot."

"It wasn't like that back then, Mama, there was no time to play. You had to be on your guard every moment of every day, or you would be killed." Kagome said as she came around the corner carrying Suki. Her eyes were distant, as though she weren't there with them.

"Then why did you go back so much, if you knew the danger?" Her mother asked, and Kagome gave a wry smile.

"Because I was the cause of a huge uproar in the Feudal Era. I broke the jewel. I had to fix what I had wrought. I had to go back."

Kagome's mother watched the expressions on Kagome's and Shippo's face, then let out a sigh, and let Shippo down.

"I'm going to go make breakfast. Why don't you get your two kids washed up, and go wake up your brother and your grandfather."

"Yes Mama."

**Owari**

Okay, this is it for now; I made it a good 6 pages in my typing font. Which is smaller then the default font. Anyways, I have the story almost completely lined out. I've finally decided how I wanted Kagome and Kurama to meet, and I have to say... I am kind of proud of how it turned out. So until next time!


	4. Wanting to Give In Part 1

Part 4: Wanting to Give In (Part 1)  


Annoying Little Twit

It had been two months since Kagome had returned to the modern era, and her mood had worsened over those months. She couldn't get over her lover, and the only things she did these days were take care of her two children, clean the house, and cry. Shippo was starting to worry, for his mama wasn't eating. Suki, who was getting bigger, always wanted to be held; and when Kagome cried, she cried also.

One day, while Kagome was fixing her two children something to eat, Kagome's mother came into the kitchen, with a determined look upon her face.

"Kagome, I think you should go visit your aunt and cousin."

"Mama, I don't want to." Kagome said, not even looking at her. She was cutting up some fish for Suki and Shippo's meal.

"I don't care. I already called and told them that you were coming to see them." Kagome's mother informed her, and Kagome still didn't turn around.

"But--" Kagome started, and her mother cut her off.

"No buts. I want you out of this house for at least four hours. All you do is mope around. I know you loved him, but you're killing yourself."

"Fine Mama, I'll go. I'm bringing Shippo and Suki with me though."

"That's fine. Now you're aunt may not be there, but your cousin will be. I'm not sure if he knows you're coming or not. Don't hurt him too much, alright?"

---  


Kagome had loaded Suki into the stroller, and Shippo was walking besides her. Suki was wrapped up in a blanket, and she had a white bonnet on her head. This was to cover her ears and tail. There was nothing she could do about her fangs and claws. Shippo, who had been practicing his illusions, just got rid of his tail, and was wearing a pair of long jeans, sneakers, and a green shirt.

Kagome walked down the streets, getting many looks from people. She could hear some comments about her age and her children, but she ignored them, and continued towards her cousin's house.

Reaching their neighborhood, she made Shippo hold onto the stroller also, so that he wouldn't wander away. She hated going through here alone before she had gone down the well, and hadn't been back since. Last she knew, her cousin had been in a coma.

Going up to the door, she gave it a few knocks, then stepped back, The door opened, and her cousin's head came through the crack in the door.

"Kags?"

"Hello Yusuke. It's been a while."

"Yeah it has! Almost three years now, and the year before that you had been sick on and off, then you just disappeared off the face of the earth! I asked Souta where you were, and he said that you were living with your friends in a distant land. I wanted to beat him up! Since when did he become so vague? And who the hell are the runts?"

"Yusuke, I would like you to meet my children, Shippo and Suki." Kagome let Shippo walk to the shocked Yusuke, and then uncovered Suki in her stroller. Her ears were covered with a baby bonnet, and her lower body was covered with the blanket, so all you could see was her hair and face.

"C-children? B-both of them? Is that why you disappeared?! Because some lowlife got you knocked up?!"

Kagome, tears building up in her eyes, brought up a hand and smacked Yusuke, catching him off guard and knocking him back into the wall, where she smacked him again.

"Don't you _ever_ call their father a lowlife! He was a greater man then you would _ever_ be!" Kagome growled, making Suki start to cry. Shippo was glaring at Yusuke, and Kagome picked up Suki into her arms (making sure her tail was still covered by the blanket) and started to rock her back and forth.

"S-sorry Kags... I just... Wasn't expecting them to be yours? And what do you mean by 'was'?"

"Their father was killed while working... So I moved us back home with my mother, Grandfather, and Souta." Kagome said, sniffling.

"I'm sorry..." Yusuke said, uncomfortable. He didn't deal well with crying women. Kagome sniffled again, then gave a weak smile.

"So what has my favorite cousin been doing these past few years?"

"Uh... Not much. Skipping school, getting into fights, made a few good friends after beating the living sh-- I mean, crap out of them. Then I met my father, spent a year with him, then he starved himself to death, and I'm back here." Yusuke said, catching himself before swearing in front of his cousin. He still painfully remembered the punishments he would get from her for swearing. He didn't know if she was still the same way. He also left out the important details, being rather vague on everything.

"I see. Ever still the delinquent. Was your father nice?"

"Yeah, for being an old geezer."

"Yusuke..."

"Anyways, what are these friends that you stayed with like?"

"Well, one is a arrogant jerk, one a pervert, one a warrior woman, one an ice prince that is the half-brother to the jerk, and one a complete animal that is head over heels for me." Kagome said vaguely, and Yusuke tilted his head confused.

"Is that one their father?"

"No Yusuke, he wishes he was. But I don't like him like that."

"So who was their father?"

"A great man, Yusuke, a great man. Though the things he did, many people saw him as a bad person... I still loved him all the same. And my friends accepted him. For the most part."

"'For the most part'? What do you mean by that?"

"Well, he was well known where I was living and feared by some groups of people. The arrogant jerk didn't like him at all, and my best friend, the warrior woman, was in fearful awe of him."

"I see..."

"So Yusuke, tell me about your friends. You said you made a few?"

"Well, you remember Kuwabara, he is my friend now."

"Amazing."

"And then there's a short silent pyro, then there's my friend that many girls think is a complete fox. I also have a friend who's head is always in the clouds, one that is as warm as ice, and then Kuwabara's girlfriend. And Keiko, we're kinda dating..."

"Hmm... Well Yusuke, I better get going, I told Mama I wouldn't be long. It was nice seeing you."

"You too. Hey! Maybe sometime I can introduce you to my friends?"

"That would be great. Bye Yusuke."

"Bye Kags."

---  


Yusuke closed the door, and let out a sigh. His life just got more complicated. So his older cousin got pregnant, ran off with some guy, and then had two kids. He thought he had been the delinquent in the family. Now his do-good little cousin seemed to have it worse off then he did.

Well, he wouldn't tell her what he thought, since he still had the mark on his face where he had hit him. Damn... She hit _hard_.

About 5 minutes after she had left, another knock came from the door he was leaning against. Pulling himself off the floor, he answered it, and saw his friends standing at the door.

"Come on in..." Yusuke said tiredly, and Kuwabara gave him a weird look as he walked in.

"What's your problem?"

"Nothing... Just having a weird day."

Kuwabara sat down on one of the couches, and Kurama, his other friend, took a seat on the other couch. Yusuke plopped down on the floor, and then they saw the mark on his cheek. It was a dark purple, and looked like it would be there for a while.

"Dude, what happened to you?" Kuwabara asked, and Yusuke grimaced, as he touched his cheek.

"Got my older cousin mad when I called her a whore."

"Why on earth did you do that?" Kurama asked, and he sighed.

"Because she went and got herself pregnant, ran off with some loser, and now she has two kids! She had been gone for three years; I haven't seen her since before my death. She apparently had been living with some friends in a 'distant land', according to my little cousin."

"So, apparently she came back... What did you two talk about?"

"I wouldn't know. I couldn't tell her much, and she wouldn't tell me anything! Apparently her best friend is a warrior woman, and some animal is head over heels for her, and an arrogant jerk didn't like her lover. Oh, there was a pervert living with them too."

Kurama looked distant, as he listened... This sounded so familiar... Could it be...?

"So what did the kids look like?" Kurama asked, and got a strange look from Yusuke.

"Why?"

Kurama looked away, and Yusuke grew more curious. Kuwabara was watching both of them, and no one noticed when Hiei entered the room.

"It's because of his mate."

"His... mate?" Yusuke asks, and Kurama doesn't meet their eyes.

"Yes. His mate and their two children."

Yusuke thinks for a moment, back to the conversation that he had with Kagome, and starts to see similarities between Kurama and the description of her lover.

"So you're saying that my cousin Kagome, is Kurama's mate?"

"Not... my mate. My previous body's lover." Kurama said, still not looking at them. Kuwabara then speaks up.

"How is that possible? Youko's been dead for 19 years. She got pregnant three years ago."

"I came back 19 years ago... I died over 500 years ago."

"Wait a second! How is this fuckin' possible then?!"

"Kagome told you she was living in a distant land... That was the Feudal Era, in which I originally lived. She traveled through a well on her property, called the Bone Eaters Well, to reach this Era. We met the year she started traveling, and we became lovers shortly after. That was before Kuronue's death. She made him a grave marker... I visit it often. It's still around." By this time, the others knew he was just rambling; he was immersed in the past.

"So you're saying Kagome can jump through time?"

"Yes."

"Then... Why does her oldest son look nothing like either of them...? Actually, come to think of it... her oldest son looks like you do now."

"That's because I changed my body's physical appearance to match Shippo's. Kagome adopted him after his parents were killed over the shards of the Shinkon Jewel."

"The Shinkon Jewel?" Yusuke asked, and Hiei was listening curiously.

"That's another story, one that I am not involved with. Anyway, she adopted him, then met me, we became lovers, she got pregnant two years later, and Suki came right on time... I remember Lady Kaede and Sango were the midwives. Inuyasha was so mad... He didn't like the fact that I took Kagome for myself. Neither did Kouga, as a matter of fact. Miroku, well, he was his usual self, though he did help a lot. Then a few months after this, I died. I waited until 19 years ago to come back, hoping I have reached the right time... I guess I did... Though I had no idea she was related to you." Kurama rambled, and his face was lowered. He had tears building up in his eyes, which he didn't want anyone to see – though he knew Hiei could probably smell them. Hiei had only known he had a lover when Kurama had gotten drunk one night, and started to talk about her. Hiei had visited that night, and listened to the whole thing.

"Wait wait... The older one's isn't either of yours, and his name is Shippo. The baby is both of yours, and her name is Suki. Then who the hell are all the other people?"

"Her traveling companions, while they searched for the shards. Except the wolf, Kouga."

"Did you love her?" Yusuke asked, and Kurama nodded.

"Please don't tell her I am alive just now."

"Why not?"

"The loss is still very fresh for her. For her, my death happened two months ago. For me, I lost her over 500 years ago. I have had years to mourn, she has not. Meeting me right now, like this, would either overwhelm her, or break her."

---

Kurama walked back from Yusuke's house alone. Kuwabara and Hiei were still there, but he didn't want to be around them at the moment. Knowing he had reached the right time, after so many years, was a bit overwhelming.

He wished he could go to her now, but he didn't know where she lived, and he didn't want to ask Yusuke at the moment. Also, what he said was right, she would probably break, or not believe him.

Shaking his head, he walked into his house, said hello to his mother, and headed up to his room. There, he locked his door, locked his window, and changed out of his regular clothing and into more comfortable clothing. Sitting down on his bed, he thought about the first time he saw her. When they first kissed. When they first made love. When he met Shippo. When Suki was born. When he died. Drifting for almost 500 years. Being reborn. Growing up again, this time with a goal in mind. And now… She was back.

His heart ached heavily, just wanting to run to Yusuke and ask her where she is. Just so he could hold her once again. So he could see Suki and Shippo.

Tears built once more in his eyes, and this time, he didn't hold them back. He fell asleep crying that night, and never knew the plan being made behind his back.

**Owari**

Okay, now I am going to start working on my other story, so the next part may take longer to get out. I hope to get this done soon. I am almost done with this story, and I finally figured out how I want to finish the story. So until next time…


	5. Wanting to Give In Part 2

Part 5: Wanting to Give In (Part 2)  


Annoying Little Twit

Yusuke and Kagome visited each other often in the following week. Shippo slowly warmed up to his mother's cousin, though the first week was rather challenging on all of them.

Yusuke had to pretend he didn't know that her children were demonic in origin, and Kagome pretended that she didn't notice that he had demon blood, and always smelled of demon.

Yusuke decided to introduce her to his friends, since she refused to hang around her old friends. She said they wouldn't understand her having children.

Kagome pushed the stroller, Suki wearing a pale yellow baby bonnet, and matching dress, with her favorite blanket covering her lower body. Suki was growing fast, and had started to grow in her other teeth, besides the twin fangs she was born with. Youko, before he had passed on, informed her that she would probably shed those teeth around this time, growing in a sturdier pair of teeth, then shed those when she got her adult teeth.

Shippo held onto the stroller, trying to help his mother push the stroller. He had his hair loose today, reaching his elbows in ragged layers, almost like his tail - which was under an illusion that it wasn't there - but his mother tried to tame it slightly. He was slightly grumpy lately, since he was losing his baby teeth, and starting to grow in his adult teeth, and it _hurt_! He could feel the sharp teeth growing in, pushing through the gums painfully.

Yusuke was leading them to the local park, since he decided at the last moment that his apartment was too small for the gathering. He had informed Kuwabara about the change in plans, and to inform the others of the change. He then called Keiko and told her that Kags was coming to visit, and Keiko immediately asked where. When he told her, she hung up after saying quickly that she would be there.

"Mama, are we there yet?" Shippo whined, and Kagome smiled down at him.

"Almost there honey, it should only be a little longer," she said, and Suki let out a gurgle of agreement. Kagome sighed, trying to send out her miko power to sense the area, but failed to do so. In the past few days, since her depression had worsened, she was unable to access most of her power. She could purify on command, sometimes, but was unable to sense things around her, or shoot purifying arrows, or heal people most of the time.

They entered the park, and after seating themselves at a picnic table, Shippo ran off to play with the other kids on the playground.

"So when will your friends be here?" Kagome asked Yusuke, and he shook his head.

"They should be here soon; they're probably coming from my place, knowing them. They are usually on time for everything, and I did pick you up late." Yusuke replied, and Kagome said 'True,' before turning to pick up Suki. Keeping the blanket wrapped around her, she set her on her lap, so she could watch her older brother play with the human children.

A few minutes later, Kagome glanced away from Shippo to look at the entrance of the park. There stood a group of people, glancing curiously around the park.

The shortest of the group was a male, with spiked black hair with a burst of white around the bangs. She couldn't see his eyes from here, but she could see his outfit. It was a black long sleeved shirt, with a pair of black jeans, white headband, and it looked like he had bandages around his hands, though she couldn't see any blood on then, so they must have been for decoration.

The person standing behind him to his left she recognized slightly, he hadn't changed much. He was the tallest male of the group, with curly orange hair hanging towards the front of his head, and rather narrow eyes, compared to the other males. He was large, though not fat. It was mostly muscle, which could be seen through the white tank top he was wearing, and the jeans he was wearing didn't hide the muscles either. He was currently arguing with the short one, who was plainly ignoring him.

Standing next to the carrot-top, was a woman, clearly older then the entire group. Kagome knew her also, but she had changed. Her hair was brown, reaching past her shoulders and partway down her back. She was tall, much like the carrot-top, and was wearing a white blouse with blue jeans, and in her hand was a cigarette. She didn't look like she cared to be there, and was looking around the park.

Next to her, slightly hidden, was another girl. Her hair was also brown, though unlike the woman next to her, hers was more of a dark chocolate brown, mixed with milk chocolate highlights of a natural color. Her hair reached her shoulders, curled under. She was wearing a blue skirt with a yellow top, and strapped sandals. She was scanning the park also, occasionally talking to the person besides her.

Who, despite appearance, she could tell immediately was male. Kagome had been around too many male demons that had slightly 'feminine' looks, to not recognize the male characteristics. He was tall with blood red hair, which swept down his back, resting at the small of his back. His front tails reached past his shoulders, resting much shorter then the rest of his hair, and his bangs were long, slightly covering his eyes. Even from here, she could see their startling green color. His eyes were rather large, though not unnaturally, and wearing a black dress shirt, with black slacks, he looked rather formal.

The tall brunette looked their direction, and catching the others attention, started to lead the way over to them. Kagome unconsciously gripped Suki tighter, as if to protect her, and Shippo, smelling the slight fear coming off of his mother, stopped his game of tag and ran over to her, sitting next to her.

"Mama, you okay?" Shippo asked quietly, as so that the others heading their way wouldn't hear them.

"You know I haven't shown Suki to many people... What if they want to hold her? What if..." Kagome started to panic, and Yusuke finally took notice of this.

"Kags, calm down. Suki will be fine, alright?" At this time, the others reached them, and taking seats around the combined picnic tables, looked curiously at Kagome, who was burying her face into Suki's blanket.

Yusuke, giving one last worried glance at his older cousin, stood up, deciding that he would do the introductions, since everyone was staying silent. Clearing his throat, catching the attention of his friends, decided to start.

"Uh... Alright, guys, this is my cousin Kagome, and her two children, Shippo and Suki. Shippo's the little redhead, and Suki's the one Kags is currently trying to hide in."

At this, Kagome unburied her face, and looked at Yusuke, deciding that they could see Suki. Didn't mean they could touch her though.

"Kags, these are my friends. The short dark one is Hiei, and next to him is Shuichi. Then Kazuma, you already know, and his older sister Shizuru. Keiko, you already know also, and... That's it."

Kagome gave a small smile, before Suki started to whine a little. She apparently could feel all the eyes on her, and unlike her mother, could sense that there were demons about. Not to mention a really familiar aura.

---

Kurama heard from Yusuke a few days ago that he wanted to introduce his cousin to everyone, since she had been avoiding interacting with people. Kurama agreed, as long as he was called Shuichi in front of her. He couldn't let her know... not yet. After a lengthy argument of when the hell that would be, Yusuke finally agreed, and they hung up.

He spent the next few days pacing around, trying to decide if he was doing the right thing.

'Damn, I could just pretend that I don't know her... But she's a Miko, she'll feel the demon inside of me... But then again, I can mask that. But can I from her? She always knew when I was sneaking up on her before...' He had these kinds of thoughts running through his head the whole time. Hiei had amused himself by watching the worried fox pace around his room. Of course, he hadn't really said anything, but the smirk on his face didn't help Kurama's mood much.

The day finally came, and Kurama had decided to forgo his usual outfits, and go for the darker colors. After searching through his closet, he finally came across his black silk button down, and a pair of black slacks in a silky material. After showering and dressing, he let his hair hang loose, and for the first time noticed that his hair had grown out. He, of course, didn't want to get it cut, but his mother might think differently. He would have to think of that at a later date, since he now only had a few minutes till he had to leave.

Walking out the door, he headed to Yusuke's apartment, and ignored all the looks and blatant stares as he walked into the shabby neighborhood. Upon reaching the apartment, he realized he was on time, and sat at the door to wait.

Fifteen minutes had passed before he received a brief call from Kuwabara, telling him they were meeting at the park instead. Putting away his cell phone, he started to walk on, knowing that Hiei was following, hidden.

He met up with Kuwabara and Shizuru on the corner, and was quickly joined by Keiko. Hiei finally came out of the shadows, and together, they walked into the park, stopping to look around for Yusuke and his cousin. Shizuru spotted Yusuke, and led them over to them, and Kurama saw a redheaded kid separate from a group of kids and run over there, grabbing the leg of what appeared to be his mother. He didn't recognize either of them at first, but then when he took a better look at the child, noticed it was Shippo. He almost faltered, but composed himself quickly, ignoring the glance that he got from Shizuru.

He saw Yusuke saying something to Kagome, who had her face buried in a baby blanket, and he and the rest of his friends took a seat around the table, glancing at Yusuke while watching Kagome, though the girls didn't know who she was.

"Uh... Alright, guys, this is my cousin Kagome, and her two children, Shippo and Suki. Shippo's the little redhead, and Suki's the one Kags is currently trying to hide in," Yusuke introduced, and the girls looked a little surprised, and even more so when Kagome lifted her head and they saw how young she was. She ran an eye over all of them, not taking more time on one person then any other. It was then he noticed something about her energy. It was extremely low, barely noticeable.

"Kags, these are my friends. The short dark one is Hiei, and next to him is Shuichi. Then Kazuma, you already know, and his older sister Shizuru. Keiko, you already know also, and... That's it," Yusuke said, introducing her to them. He was glad that Yusuke kept his end of the deal, and would have to explain to the girls why she couldn't know his 'nickname'. Damn, that was going to be a hard discussion...

"H-hello," Kagome whispered, her hands were shaking as she said this. She was apparently nervous, and the girls could see this.

"Hey, Kags, was it? You don't look old enough to have children," Shizuru said, making Yusuke glare at her. Kagome paled, but responded.

"I did have them young," she said, and he noticed that she didn't mention that Shippo was adopted. She probably didn't want to explain how she was able to adopt at the age of 15.

"So, who's the father?" Keiko asked, and apparently it was the wrong thing to say, for Kagome had tears in her eyes.

"He... He was a great man... but he has passed on to the afterlife." Kagome was solemn as she said this, making Keiko form a little 'o' with her mouth, before closing it, embarrassed for bringing up such a subject.

"Can I hold her?" Shizuru asked, and the reaction they got wasn't one they were expecting. Kurama felt what little energy she had spring to life, and she jumped back from the table.

"No! Don't touch her!"

---

"No! Don't touch her!" Kagome shouted after she leapt back from the table. She didn't know what came over her, but she couldn't let them hold her. They would find out, they were just human, she hoped, anyways. If they were demons, they would kill her. She couldn't let them touch her. Her breathing increased, and she could feel the panic overwhelming her. Suki could too, apparently, for she started to cry.

Yusuke quickly went to Kagome's side, and seeing that she was having a panic attack, and taking her shoulders, lowered her to the ground on her knees. He knew it would be stupid of him to try to take Suki away at this point, since that is what triggered the attack, but he could try everything in his power to calm her down.

Kagome felt herself be lowered to the ground, and now on her knees, she bent over, her own tears joining that of her daughter's. She saw everyone's feet move away from the table, and heard Yusuke's soothing voice in her ear.

"Look, I'm sorry, okay? Aunty just told me to take you out, since you weren't leaving home. Just take deep breaths, and calm down. You're scaring Shippo, and you don't want to do that, right?"

Kagome gave a small shake of her head, and tried to slow her breathing, but found that it was getting harder and harder to breath.

"In the... Diaper bag... Bag... Bring..." She managed to get out in between gasps, and Shuichi managed to catch onto what she was saying. He went quickly over to the stroller, and grabbed the diaper bag. In there was exactly what he needed, a paper bag. He emptied it of its contents and brought it over, and remembering his first aid class in school, put the bag over her nose and mouth, and told her to breathe.

Kagome started to try to control her breathing again, and soon it was slowing down, Suki's cries were also lessening, since she sensed her mother calming down. Shippo, trying desperately to hide his own tears, watched as the redheaded man helped his mama, and crept closer to her.

_'She hasn't been like this since Papa died...' _Shippo thought, and soon he was standing next to his mother.

"Mama, you okay?" Shippo asked, startling the two women who forgot that he was there.

"Oh Shippo, I'm so sorry..." She said, pulling him close to her in a hug. He buried his head into her shoulder. "I shouldn't have had to scare you like this again..."

"It wasn't your fault Mama, neither was last time," Shippo said softly, and the people around them looked confused.

"I'm not a good mother... I can't even take care of my own children..." She sobbed softly, and Yusuke bent down next to her again.

"Kags, you _are_ a good mother. You raised Shippo and Suki to be good kids. Their father dying wasn't your fault. I won't tell you to get over it, because I know it's not that easy."

"I'm sorry... All I am is a burden... I just come back into your life, and all you've done is take care of me. I'm supposed to be taking care of you. I can't even take care of myself..."

Shuichi, much to the shock of the girls - though not the boys, since they already knew who he was - bent down next to the sobbing mother, and in his soft voice, talked to her.

"You are not a burden. If Yusuke thought you were, he would have told you that. That's the way he is. Now get up, and let's go have that lunch I saw in your diaper bag, alright?"

Kagome nodded, and with the help of the two boys, got back on her feet and back over to the picnic table. Yusuke grabbed her diaper bag, and looking in, saw more lunch bags in there, plus the contents of that paper bag strewn throughout it. He took out the bags, and placing them on the table, counted them.

"Well, two of us are going to not be able to eat."

"I won't..." Kagome said, and Yusuke shook his head.

"I have seen how much you've been eating, and you need to eat. Me and Kuwabara can go without lunch, right?" Yusuke said, looking over at Kuwabara.

"Of course!" Kuwabara agreed, and Kagome smiled softly. They split the bags, and Kagome ate, while helping Shippo eat. He wasn't good at eating the sandwiches, so she took out a knife, and cut them into small pieces for him to just pick up and bite into.

"I'm sorry for my display earlier," Kagome whispered as everyone was eating. She had only eaten half of her lunch, but she was full.

"It's alright, we shouldn't have asked so many questions," Shizuru said, waving her hand. Keiko nodded in agreement, since she had asked some rather rude questions also.

---

Kurama had spent most of the picnic watching Kagome, Suki, and Shippo, a feeling of nostalgia creeping over him. He couldn't believe he was there, sitting with them, after 500 years...

He was over at the Kuwabara's house, Hiei having taken the spot closest to the window, and was promptly ignoring everyone. He claimed he was only here to make sure Kurama didn't do anything stupid, but Kurama knew he was curious.

Shizuru had been watching him get lost in his own thoughts most of the evening they were over at her house, and soon she got fed up with it.

"Alright Kurama, what the hell is going on?"

Keiko jumped, for Shizuru sure sounded angry at the moment. She hadn't really noticed anything, but now that she thought about it, Kurama was really acting strange.

"It's nothing..." He started, but Shizuru didn't look too pleased with that answer.

"It is too something, you've been staring at Yusuke's cousin the whole time we were there, then you get down and comfort her during her panic attack, then you stare at her some more, and now you are daydreaming in _my_ house! What is up with that?"

"Alright, you want to know?" Kurama said, and Shizuru sat down, facing him. Keiko also turned to face him, curious.

"Okay... she was my lover a long time ago, back when I was Youko Kurama. Suki is my daughter, and Shippo is my son."

"But Youko's been dead for 19 years, care to explain?"

"Kagome is a time traveling Miko, and she traveled over 500 years into the past to meet me. In truth, I died around that time period, but knowing she lived far into the future, look a lucky guess to be reborn. Apparently I did it right, since I am here and so is she. We became lovers the year she got sucked into the past, and she lived there with me fore three years, since she didn't want to travel while she was pregnant. I died only a few months after Suki was born."

"On my god... I'm so sorry Kurama," Keiko whispered, tears falling down her face. Shizuru looked a bit sad, but she wasn't openly crying.

"Why don't you tell her?" Shizuru asked, and Kurama shook his head.

"It would break her. I have had years to mourn, and she has only had months."

"Well, apparently she is already broken, by that display today. I just think you're afraid."

**Owari**

Wow, that came out of nowhere. Sorry it's been so long, school has been keeping me busy. Well, hopefully it won't take as long next time to update. Please leave a review, they always make my day!


	6. Breaking Down

Breaking Down

Annoying Little Twit

Kagome had gone home, and locked herself in her room with Suki and Shippo. She only had come out to feed them, hadn't eaten anything herself, and then went back to her room. Shippo was worried, and Suki was still sniffling, feeling her mother's fear and sadness.

Shippo wasn't sure as to what to do. Neither was Kagome's mother. She had tried to coax Kagome out of her room, but it wasn't about to happen anytime soon at this rate. So she did the only thing she could do: called her nephew, Yusuke.

Picking up the phone and dialing the number that was left on a sticky note by the phone, waited for him to pick up. It said 'Yusuke Cell' by the number, so he had to pick it up.

"Hello?" A voice said, which was slightly deep, but still young. She recognized it slightly.

"Yusuke? This is Aunty Higurashi."

"Aunty? Do you need something?" Yusuke asked, confusion clearly in his voice. She knew it was because she hardly ever talked to her husband's sister, him even less.

"Yes, I do actually. Did something happen to Kagome today? She refuses to come out of her room, and locked her and her children in there."

Silence rang on the other end, then whispering voices she could make out a name, which was Hiei, and Kur-something, but other then that, nothing.

"Aunty? I'm coming over, and I'm bringing a friend of mine who may be able to help."

"Thank you. And when you come, try to convince her to eat _something_, even if it's just a little rice."

"Alright, I will be there in a half hour at the most."

They both hung up after saying goodbye, and she looked back up the stairs at her daughters closed door, before sighing and going to prepare something to eat.

---

Yusuke hung up the phone, just as Hiei arrived at his window.

"What is it?" Hiei asked, skipping all pleasantries.

"It's my cousin. Apparently her episode was more severe then she let on. I need you to get Kurama over here. Quickly. He's the only one who can help her now."

"He's not going to come, he's stubborn."

"Then drag him here! If Kags keeps going on like this, she's going to kill herself!"

"Fine, I'll see what I can do."

"That's all I ask of you, Hiei."

"You owe me, Detective." Hiei added, before disappearing into the night.

---

Kurama was laying facedown on his bed, thinking about what Shizuru had said earlier that night.

_"Well, apparently she is already broken, by that display today. I just think you're afraid."_

He knew she was right. He had to do something soon, or she would hurt someone, most likely herself.

This was the foremost thought in his mind at the moment, as it had been since he got home. His mind would drift back to the past, back when he was happy and content with his lover and his children, but then it would go back to that display at the park.

A knock at his window made him turn his head, and then buried it again as he saw it was Hiei. He didn't want to hear what Hiei had to say, it was probably from Yusuke anyways to yell at him some more.

Soon he heard the lock on his window click open, and Hiei slipped the window open, and came into the room.

"The Detective wants you. He said to drag you there if you refused to come."

"Since you feel like playing messenger, tell him I don't want to hear it." Kurama's voice was muffled by the pillow, but Hiei heard it loud and clear.

"Fine, then let the damn woman die. One less problem in the world." Hiei found himself slammed against the wall, a hand around his throat.

"Don't you _ever _talk about her that way!" He growled, literally. Hiei stared at him, despite his air supply being cut off.

"And what do you mean, she's dying?" Kurama asked, after he calmed down slightly, and let go of Hiei, letting him slide back down the wall.

"Apparently she locked herself away in her room with your children. She is feeding them, but isn't eating herself. Yusuke claims you're the only one who can get her out."

Kurama was torn. He was afraid to approach her, but he wanted to help her also.

"Fine, I'll come."

---

Kagome was still in her room when she heard the voice of her cousin drift up to her room. Her mother must have called him a little while ago, when she stopped harassing her to come out.

Though there was another voice that drifted upwards, that she recognized as Yusuke's friend, Shuichi. She remembered the voice distinctly, since he _did_ help calm her down. He probably thought she was a freak or something.

"Kags?" Yusuke must have come upstairs during her inner musings. She didn't respond, but grabbed a brush and started to brush out her son's unruly hair.

"Kags, come on, talk to me. This isn't good for you."

Kagome ignored him still, and continued brushing Shippo's hair, said kit silently crying to his self. He was scared of the way his mother was acting, and wished he was still back in the past, with his Daddy still alive and well, and Momma was happy. Suki wasn't keeping her tears quiet. She was bawling at the top of her lungs.

"Kagome?" Shuichi's soft voice came through the door. "Will you please let me in?"

Kagome ignored him, though her brushing did slow down some, becoming gentler, which made Shippo feel better, slightly.

"Kagome, if you don't let me in on your own, I will have to let myself in." Shuichi said, and Kagome knew that it wasn't a threat; he was merely informing her of what actions he would have to take. She sighed, and set down the brush, before going and unlocking the door, opening it, and let Shuichi inside. However, she held out a hand for Yusuke to stop.

"The deal was that he could come in, not you." She said, her voice hoarse and quiet.

"Kaggy,"

"Don't 'Kaggy' me right now." And with that, she shut the door on his face, locking it once more. She turned around, and took her seat once more, ignoring Shuichi who was glancing around the room.

"Kagome, what is wrong?" Shuichi started, and Kagome was quiet for a moment, before looking down at her hands.

"I... I can't live..." Kagome hesitated, wondering why she felt so much calmer in the presence of this redheaded man. She finished her sentence.

"I can't live without him."

---

"I can't live without him," Kagome said, and Kurama felt guilt flood him at those words. She had been trying so hard, but couldn't go on. And he had been afraid to approach her, because he was afraid to reopen the wounds. They had never closed.

"Kagome, Look at your children."

Kagome did, and a frown creased her face. Suki was still wailing, now that she could feel both of her parents nearby, but both were feeling horrible emotions, and Shippo was still crying quietly, his knees drawn up to his chest.

"Why... Why does it _hurt so much_...?" She had started to cry also, and Shuichi went over to Suki, picked her up and held her, before going over to where Kagome sat next to Shippo, and drew them all into a tight embrace.

"Shh... Cry. Mourn for him, before it kills your family."

"I... I can't... I can't mourn. Part of me feels as though he is always near me... never letting me... me go..."

"He will always be near you. He will always be close by, even if... even if he's afraid to approach the one he loves."

---

"He will always be near you. He will always be close by, even if... even if he's afraid to approach the one he loves," Shuichi said, and Kagome looked up, confused, though tears still streaked down her face.

"What... what do you mean?"

Shippo looked up confused, and felt for Shuichi's energy. It was faint, as though it was mostly hidden, but he could feel it. It was tainted with much human, but it was still...

"Daddy?"

**Owari**

Wow, I feel horrible leaving it there, but I want to post what I have written and get to work on my other story. So, sorry for another cliffhanger. Please leave a review? I love getting them. (And I'll try to be better at replying to them. Even the anonymous ones, if there's an email, I'll respond!)


	7. Truth Be Told

Truth Be Told

Annoying Little Twit

Kagome looked between Shippo and Shuichi, a look of confused concern on her face.

"Shippo, that isn't Daddy," She said softly, watching Shuichi to see what his reaction to the young child's question.

"Yes it is! His 'oora' feels funny, like it's been humanized, but that's Daddy."

Kagome blinked rapidly, and without thinking automatically corrected her son. "It's 'Aura', dear."

Shuichi started to laugh, and Kagome looked back at him, remembering what Shippo had just said.

"I'm sorry, but Shippo has a wild imagination, and he misses his father dearly."

"Kagome, Shippo... is right."

---

"Kagome, Shippo... is right," Kurama said. He had stopped laughing, and watched as Kagome furrowed her brows.

"But... Then why... How... When... But... This can't be! Youko is dead! He can't come back!"

Kagome looked like she was about to cry again, so Kurama wrapped her up in his arms. Suki had quieted down much, though she was starting to get hungry again.

"Kagome, I waited for you. When the Ferries of Death came to collect my soul, I eluded them, until 19 years ago. There was no way I knew I reached the right time, I only had instinct to follow. When I heard you were alive, and that you brought our children... I was afraid."

"But... How?! How are you alive?!"

Kurama and Kagome stopped talking when they heard Shippo mumble something aloud.

"...you will know it's me when you see me..."

Kurama remembered a dream he had a while ago, where he said those exact words.

"Mama, that _is _Daddy! Remember the dream I told you about? That Daddy came to me, and told me he was alive?! He told me he was 'reborn' in a human body! Shuichi _is_ Youko, Mama!"

Kagome looked lost, and Kurama knelt down.

"I'm sorry, my love. I never meant to hurt you this much. I was afraid. I thought if I came to you too soon, I would hurt you. Apparently, my fear almost killed you."

"If... if you _are_ Youko, then where did we first... first make love?"

"By the creek where we met. It was spring, and you had a fight with that idiot Inuyasha. I thought that you could use some comfort, but it lead further then we both planned."

"Yo...ko.." With that, Kagome burst into tears again, and Kurama looked startled, before Kagome lunged at him, and pressed her lips to his. They were both cautious of the fact that Suki was still between them, but it didn't stop them from showing each other how much they missed each other.

"So... Do you go by Shuichi now, or do you still go by Youko?"

"My friends, and your cousin, call me Kurama. I've gotten use to it."

"Kurama... I like it. I may still call you Youko most of the time, though. I got use to calling you by your first name..."

"You can call me whatever you wish to. As long as you don't leave me."

"Never."

They sealed that with a kiss, and Shippo smiled. Things were right in the world again.

---

---

Epilogue

---

---

Kagome and Kurama walked out of the room, Yusuke having fell asleep waiting for them.

"Yusuke, cousin, time to wake up," Kagome said, pushing him over onto the floor. He jumped awake, and then noticed Kagome's hand in Kurama's.

"Aww man, now I don't get to set both of you up on that blind date."

"Seeing the circumstances, I don't think that would have been wise," Kurama said, giving Yusuke a weak glare. It was mostly teasing, but seeing as Kagome wasn't in the best of shape, it probably wouldn't have been very smart.

"I'm hungry, and I bet the kids are too. I need to feed Suki again."

"Here, I'll feed her, you get something to eat."

Kagome handed Suki over to her father, and led them downstairs. Kagome's mother had fallen asleep at the table, and they quietly worked around her preparing a bottle and some rice with egg and fish.

"I'll wake her up after you leave; I've caused her too much worry to wake her up now when she finally got some sleep."

They ate their meal, and letting Kurama and Yusuke out the door, got Kurama's home and cell number, before giving him hers.

"Call me in the morning, alright?"

"Of course."

After they left, Kagome woke up her mother, and shared the good news with her. Her mother was a little worried she was imagining things, but Shippo also declared Youko's existence, and she believed them. After a tearful happy hug, they both went to their beds, Kagome sleeping peacefully for the first night in many.

**Owari**

Wow, it ended a lot faster then I thought it would! But this means I can focus on my other stories now. I am kind of happy this has ended, I've been working on it way too long.

Happy Readings!

ALT


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